


A Winning Distraction

by LetoaSai



Series: StrifeHart Fluff [20]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cuddling, First Dates, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Storms, Triggers, a series within a series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-20 02:29:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19984561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetoaSai/pseuds/LetoaSai
Summary: Leon thought the weather had ruined their date before it had even begun, but Cloud showed up anyway.





	A Winning Distraction

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any Final Fantasy
> 
> So... Within this series Cloud and Leon occasionally make references to their first few dates, or really just dates before they were married. I thought i'd pick a few and write out some scenes. So every now and then we will go back in time!  
> A mini series within this never ending one.  
> Cloud and Leon before the I Do's.  
> Part 1 i guess?

Leon scowled out the window as rain pelted down. It had come down in a sudden rush unexpectedly considering the day was meant to be nothing but sunny. Weather man had one damn job... This was going to ruin his date… 

He could think of quite a few dates in his past where he wouldn’t have minded the cancellation. Could probably think of more outings where he prayed for rain to come down and save him from whatever awful day was in store for him. More than once he’d toyed with the notion that dating just wasn’t for him, but this time was different. It actually felt different. Maybe he’d just never felt like putting the effort in before. 

He’d had dinner with Cloud twice. Lunch once. They’d met at Tifa’s bar half a dozen times. It was fun, and that wasn’t something he could say about other dates he’d been on. Cloud wasn’t just fucking pretty to look at but was witty. It wasn’t just anyone that could keep up with Leon’s dry humor. Most actually found it off putting but Cloud just laughed. 

Laughed like he actually found Leon funny. He was a lot of things but he’d never considered funny to be one of them. 

He liked spending time with Cloud… Fuck, he felt like some fourteen year-old with his first crush. It would be pathetic if he wasn’t enjoying it. 

The thunder that boomed over head shook him from his thoughts and had him glaring out the window again. Since moving to Radiant Garden he’d done very little but work. Most of his time was spent at the University and the breaks he’d been recently taking to meet Cloud had been a welcome breath of fresh air. 

Cloud was going to show him around the gardens, markets, and where the best shops were for people like himself who hated shopping. Cloud had run around these streets for years and knew all the shortcuts. It was just an excuse to wander around together. 

He didn’t want to cancel, but they couldn’t very well wander around the city in the rain. For the last twenty minutes he’d been waiting for Cloud to call and point out the obvious. Rain had left the day a washout. Having to wait until the following weekend to see Cloud again left him stupidly disheartened. 

Ugh, feelings. This was not like him at all. 

He came to Radiant Garden for a job. He came to teach and dive into the history he loved so much. Warfare wasn’t a subject that enthralled many but he’d found strategy fascinating. Cloud didn’t look at him like he was demented for unthinkingly making a comment on weapons or a reference to a war that happened two centuries prior. 

Cloud’s interest hadn’t just been polite. He seemed just as pleased to have someone he could talk to. 

Leon moved to check his phone to see if he’d missed a call when there was a knock at his door. He went to answer it on auto pilot and not for a second did he expected to find Cloud on the other side soaking wet. 

“Raining.” Cloud stated obviously, shaking out his riding jacket. “Shit came out of nowhere.” 

Leon blinked. “Yeah.” He shook the surprise away and stepped back to let Cloud into his apartment. “It really got you.” 

Cloud snorted and offered a shy smile. “Yeah. No roof on the bike. I was hoping we could rethink our plans.” 

“Sure,” Leon agreed, hoping he didn’t look too eager. “Sorry, let me get you a towel.” 

Maybe this date could be salvaged after all. 

He hurried to his bathroom, wondering frantically what they could do. Cloud had been to his apartment once before but only for a minute before they left again. Having him inside left him oddly insecure. He didn’t know how to be a decent host. 

He returned with a towel to find Cloud standing in his kitchen. He’d bypassed the living room completely because of the carpet and instead stripped off his outer layers over the linoleum kitchen floor that could be more easily wiped up. 

“Sorry about the trail.” Cloud mumbled. “It was pretty merciless.” 

Leon glanced out the window that was being assaulted with rain. “Yeah, i believe you.” He passed the towel over. “Why don’t you just take off everything.” He felt heat flare in his face when Cloud’s eyes jerked up to his. “You can borrow clothes.” 

Cloud smiled faintly. “You mind?” 

“Nah…” Leon muttered, heading back to his room. “We could stay in, though i don’t really have faith in my ability to entertain you.” 

“I’m not a little kid. I don’t need to be constantly distracted.” Cloud called after him. 

Leon grabbed clothes from his stack of clean laundry he never put away and returned a moment later. He hadn’t thought he’d been gone more than a few seconds but it had been long enough for Cloud to strip off everything but his pants, clean up the water on the floor, and begin to riffle through his cabinets.

“You have no food.” Cloud commented. 

“I don’t...really cook.” Leon muttered, refusing to do anything as cliche as watching stray drops of water trail down his back. “Here. You need another towel?” 

“I should be okay.” Cloud said, taking the clothes handed to him. “Bathroom? Or you want me to change here?” 

“Well it’s not like you’re hard to look at.” Leon muttered, turning away quickly. He should just keep his mouth shut. It's not like he knew how to flirt. “It’s the first door there on the left.” 

Cloud chuckled softly and headed across the apartment. His pants were wet but at least he wasn’t dripping as bad. 

Leon settled on the couch hoping to distract himself but it was hard while Cloud was in his home. This was completely new territory for him. Relationships had always been casual and never really extended to his home. It just further stressed to him how different this one was. Cloud was only gone a minute or two before reappearing, towel drying his hair. If he wasn't a pretty sight barefoot and damp in borrowed clothes...

“You don’t mind right? That i still came?” Cloud asked, leaving the towel in the bathroom. 

“No.” Leon shrugged. “Was hoping to see you anyway.” He hadn’t expected to see Cloud at all. Expectations exceeded… 

“Good.” Cloud slid beside him on the couch just as thunder cracked over head. He tried to hide a wince but Leon couldn’t help but see when he was staring. 

“Not a fan of storms?” 

“Mm,” Cloud sighed and shook his head. “No, storms are fine. I usually like rain. It’s loud noises i could do without. Some are worse than others.” 

Leon nodded once. “I hated them as a kid. I guess i’ve gotten used to them over the years. We can put the tv on or something to help drown out the noise if you want.” 

“No. Like i said i like the sound of rain and i’m trying to get used to the loud noises. Not like i can get rid of them.” Cloud sighed. “It really pisses me off.” 

“Yeah?” Leon folded his legs beneath him and turned enough to face Cloud. “When did it start?”

Cloud made a face and sighed again, this time quietly. Every time they shared something they wouldn’t really talk about with anyone else became something on an intimate moment. This had those vibes. “I told you i was a messenger for my pops company, yeah?” He continued after Leon nodded. “I often delivered things into war zones. Things for the military. Multiple units, and such. I ended up spending a great deal of time around the whole Shinra-Wutai conflict. I knew a lot of SOLDIERS.” 

Leon fought the urge to make a face. SOLDIERS were not to be messed with. Not only were they an elite military division, but most of them were hired by the government as mercenaries. Those same mercenaries supposedly took the reigns and managed their own work immediately. People were far too afraid of them to try to order them around. 

“I don’t know if that’s impressive or scary.” Leon muttered. 

Cloud offered a small smile. “Maybe both. I was never enlisted on paper, but i spent over two years with a First Class unit. It affected me.” 

“Well sure.” Leon said, the bright flash of lightning giving Cloud plenty of time to tense before the thunder came. “You’re not the first soldier to come home with problems like that.” Leon said, reaching out hesitantly before deciding to go for it a run his fingers through Cloud’s hair. Soft blond spikes… 

Cloud leaned into his touch, the faintest dusting of pink across his face. “A lot of people don’t get it. What the noises do.” 

“I do. I haven’t studied only war maneuvers. It’s much more than that. I’m willing to bet you went through the unimaginable. Something you can only truly understand if you were there.” Leon said, continuing to pet Cloud’s hair when he didn’t seem to have a problem with it. 

Cloud heaved another sigh, this time the sound was more breathy and relaxed. “You’re easy to talk to. Easy to listen to. People mean well but sometimes when they give advice it feels patronizing. I know they don’t mean it to be but i’m ready to hear the worst. Like i’m purposely twisting words around until i hear the worst version. I don’t mean to be like that.” 

“Then i won’t give advice,” Leon said. “I’ll just tell you that i understand better than most and still have this stupid crush on you like i’ve never kissed a boy before.” 

Laughter was practically startled out of Cloud and he smiled warmly, shifting closer until their knees touched. “A crush, huh? You’re gonna make me blush.” 

Leon dug his fingers a little harder into Cloud’s scalp. “I already did.” 

Cloud hummed, head tipped back into the touch. “That’s cheating.” 

“It’s not.” Leon muttered, pleased when Cloud’s eyes shut and he melted into Leon's hand. “Not sure what it is but it’s certainly not cheating.” 

Cloud let himself relax, his head lulled back against the back of the couch while Leon continued to knead his fingers against his scalp. It should have been strange, and it really wasn’t something he’d done before but Cloud seemed to like it enough. As far as he could tell, he wasn’t crap at it. 

It was nice though to be able to touch a little. They were both men that liked their space and in turn had given the other the space they normally would have liked. It worked out rather well at first but it sure made bridging the gap a pain once they were ready for a little contact. 

Leon at least hoped he wasn’t the only one craving a more sensual atmosphere. 

When thunder boomed over head again Cloud gasped, startled into a stiff sitting position and grabbing Leon’s wrist roughly. 

“Shit. Shit. Sorry.” Cloud muttered, a little paler than before while he pried his grip off Leon a finger at a time. 

“Don’t apologize.” Leon muttered, cupping Cloud’s face and pressing a light kiss to his cheek. “I don’t need you to apologize.” He drew Cloud closer, letting their foreheads touch. “Let’s stay in and we can pretend it’s not thundering.” 

Cloud shifted closer, adding more pressure to their touching legs. “Don’t know if i’ll really be able to ignore it but staying here for a bit does sound good.” 

Leon smiled faintly. “I could offer you a distraction.” 

Thunder cracked again and Cloud jerked forward, his face suddenly buried against Leon’s shoulder. “I’d take a distraction.” 

“Okay.” Leon muttered, both hands sliding into Cloud’s still slightly damp hair. He stroked the blonde locks and finally hauled Cloud’s entire body closer to lean against him. 

“Oh, hey, i-” Cloud went bright red when he ended up on Leon’s lap. Leon was relatively sure that Cloud had never been the one treated like that. 

“I’m being distracting.” Leon chuckled, one arm around his waist while the other hand cupped his jaw. “Can i kiss you?” 

“I will not be held responsible if i bite you during a clap of thunder.” Cloud mumbled with a touch of a shy tone.

“I’ll bite back.” Leon agreed, tilting his head to brush his mouth against Cloud’s. His lips were soft and it took very little coaxing to have Cloud melting against him. 

Kissing had never really been something Leon looked forward to but something about kissing Cloud was addicting. It didn’t feel like a chore or necessary foreplay. It was actually fun and feeling Cloud smile into the kiss was a new contact Leon had never felt before. 

Thunder continued to rumble over head and Cloud would freeze and fall back into the kiss a second later. It didn’t take long for some of Clouds’ tension to ease, his own arms wrapping around Leon’s neck. 

“Didn’t get bit.” Leon muttered. 

“Not yet.” Cloud snorted. “You know, you’re comfy.” 

“Oh am i?” Leon laughed, boldly pushing his luck and tracing his fingers down Cloud’s sides. Seeing him in his clothes was more than a little endearing. They weren’t all that different in size but his clothes still seemed to be a little too big on Cloud. “I guess that’s okay. Even if you are heavy.” 

“You put me here.” Cloud smirked. “You can never complain.” 

“I’ll find something else to complain about.” Leon muttered, stealing one last kiss. “Let me dig around in the kitchen, i’m sure i have food somewhere.” 

Cloud chuckled and looked a little reluctant to move off of Leon but at least a line between them had been crossed. “Good luck with that. Am i going to have to start bringing you groceries?” 

“They’d just go to waste unless you wanna cook them.” Leon said, jumping and going red when he felt Cloud pat his ass. 

“Maybe i will.” Cloud said, that sparkle of mischief back in his eyes. The thunder was still rolling outside but it was drifting further away. The lack of noise allowed him to finally calm fully. 

“I’ll let you.” Leon muttered, stepping into his kitchen and readjusting himself once he was out of view. 

An hour later they were laid out on the floor surrounded by every pillow in Leon’s apartment to make themselves comfortable. They watched the rain pelt against the window in hypnotic patterns curled up side by side. 

They’d eaten an entire box of muffin’s Leon’s sister had sent and two packs of ramen. Cloud teased merciless about Leon’s in ability to cook and Leon argued he was immune from such comments after politely offering Cloud dry clothes when he arrived. 

As far as dates went, this one was perfect. Leon rested his head on Cloud’s shoulder while he played with the other man’s hands. He’d had never felt inclined to examine someone’s hands before but Clouds were fascinated. Long, calloused fingers. Skin a strange combination of both smooth and rough. He wore a ring on his middle finger that had been a twenty first birthday present from Cid. 

Leon twisted the band around and could tell by the paler skin underneath that Cloud rare removed it. 

“Are you entertaining yourself?” Cloud asked, voice sounding sleepy. 

“Yes.” Leon smiled faintly, rolling his thumb across Cloud’s knuckles and getting a soft sound in response. He’d never given it much thought, but in light of recent realizations, Cloud had a standard case of PTSD. Him being touched starved didn’t seem so far fetched and it put a funny feeling in Leon’s stomach that he was allowing Leon to touch him so intimately. 

He massaged his thumbs into Cloud’s palm and the quiet sounds continued. He could tell Cloud was drifting off and did absolutely nothing to stop it. 

He could ask Cloud if he wanted to stay the night, but then he ran the risk of Cloud saying no. True, it was still raining and it would make for a very wet ride home but he wanted Cloud to stay. It was probably selfish but curled up on a mound of pillows on his living room floor didn’t seem like a bad way to spend an evening. 

“Feels good.” Cloud muttered, fingers twitching every time Leon hit a certain spot. It was almost strange to think the light touch to his palm could be ticklish.

“Then i’ll keep doing it.” Leon said, wondering if this was how other people felt. He heard people talk about love all his life and he never fully grasped why it was so fantastic. Love might have been a little premature here but he was definitely thinking it... 

Cloud shifted just a little, face pressed against Leon’s hair. “Still storming?” 

“Just rain.” 

"Still early?” 

“Doesn’t matter.” Leon said, trying to remain focused on Cloud’s hand but he couldn’t think about anything while Cloud was nuzzling against his hair, breath on his neck. “You work tomorrow?” 

“Mm mm.” 

“Then it really doesn’t matter.” 

“I knew you’d like cuddles.” Cloud said, voice drowsy. Leon was pretty sure his eyes weren’t even open anymore. 

“Whatever.” Leon snorted, lacing his fingers with Cloud’s. 

If the rain let up, maybe they’d order dinner. Until then, spending the early evening curled up together made it a wildly successful date.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I know this series not the least bit in chronological order. You can mostly tell it's placement by the ages of the children which i try to mention in some way. What can i say, it's not an exact science. It was only supposed to be a single one shot with Cloud and Leon happily together with children, poking fun at Seifer to help get Hayner a happily ever after too. Now part 20 is being posted...  
> That said, i was asked what the proper sequence of events are so i made a list that i will continue to post an updated version of here with every new part.  
> I think it's... mostly right, but i have a little rereading to do. Hope this helps. 
> 
> Out of Order  
> A Winning Distraction (should technically take place in the middle of Out of Order)  
> First Dance  
> Until Monday  
> Repeat  
> Wager  
> Calling Home (technically just before and just after Wager)  
> Renewals  
> Date Night  
> Sick Lions  
> Bad Memories  
> Not Perfect (could really fit in a few places, here is fine)  
> Long Weekends  
> Fever  
> Melee  
> Time will Tell  
> Rumble  
> A Day for Two  
> Homemade  
> Moving on
> 
> I really don't think it has to be read in order but it might help some people.


End file.
